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Gaming Broadband
If you've ever played online with friends or a bunch of total strangers from the other side of the planet, then you'll know that there's nothing more frustrating than being halfway through a tension-fraught shootout, a climactic battle between rival clans in the field or fending off a column of enemy tanks with your beleaguered troops, then being dropped from the game due to lag or connection issues. Here, we have listed the most suitable broadband packages for gaming in the UK, boasting low latency, and fast upload and download speeds to keep you one step ahead of the game.
| Provider | Package | Speed | Cap/Limit | Contract Length | Monthly Cost | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be Broadband | Value Broadband | 8 | 40 | Free | £17 | |||||
| Be Broadband | Unlimited Broadband | 24 | Unlimited | Free | £22 | |||||
| Be Broadband | Pro Broadband | 24 | Unlimited | Free | £27 |
Gaming Broadband
If you're serious about gaming online then you don't need us to tell you that you'll want a broadband service which comes with a generous download limit, fast upload and download speeds and guaranteed low latency.
You'll want to consider ADSL2+ and Cable Broadband, as these provide upload and download speeds that are faster on average than any other type of broadband service. In the case of ADSL2+ products, many of the higher end premium services come with a prioritised connection, and use of a Static IP address, which is ideal for hosting your own games, as other gamers can connect to your server.
It also might be worth checking out broadband providers who allow you the choice of a Static IP or a Dynamic IP, as the latter is useful if a particular vengeful opponent attempts to take things further and employ some nasty h4xx0R scripting skills and attack you computer - you can just unplug/replug your router and they'll never find you again.
Whilst there are ADSL providers out there who will be able to supply you with an IP address upon request, you might want to make use of the faster speeds available on an ADSL2+ line first, if you live in an area where such services are available.
More than anything though, it's low latency that gamers really care about. The technological advantages of cable over copper mean that getting Fibre Optic broadband is one way over guaranteeing low latency, but ADSL and ADSL2+ providers that advertise a low contention ratio of 20 to 1, rather than say, 50 to 1, will be able to guarantee a reliable level of service.
Again, factors such as distance from the telephone exchange will affect the quality of your gaming experience if you're playing on an ADSL/ADSL2+ line, as will the time of day affect performance for cable broadband users.
